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A day in my life….

Dragonfly Acupuncture Leeds is one of very few (if not the only one) acupuncturists who come to you, the way i run my practice in this way is fairly unique and AMAZING!!

The people who are housebound for whatever reason are still able to access treatment that can make such a big difference to their health and wellbeing, their quality of life.

What happens during an appointment..

I will be driving along Leeds roads in my car usually singing along to songs while getting interrupted by the satnav. I rock up outside your house and have my couch and equipment bag with me.

Yes, my bag is huge and is a bit like Mary Poppins bag as it has all sorts of things in. Needles, bolsters, towels, massage oil, anti bac handspray, sharps bin, moxa rolls and much more.

I set up my couch and we go through a long (but very important) consultation form asking all sorts of things from symptoms, diet, sleep, stress levels to poo and pee. I know 🙂 but these things can be vital for a clear diagnosis, according to Chinese medicine. Which is a sentence I use A LOT.

Then I will have a look at your tongue, it’s one of the only times you can legitimately stick out your tongue without getting funny looks. Looking at your tongue can tell us so much about what is going on with your health, and your pulses (all 6 positions, on 3 levels) show the same thing. It is very interesting how it often confirms information from the consultation.

Time comes to hop on the couch, in most cases there is no need to disrobe. We just need access to your limbs below your elbows and below your knees. So wear loose comfy clothes for your treatment and we will be right. Although you would be surprised how many people still wear skinny jeans and try to pull it up almost cutting off blood supply. But they just go and get changed.

Finally, we then get to the actual needling. Single use, sterile, fine needles will be inserted at specific Acupuncture points chosen according to the diagnosis in Chinese medicine.

Yes, you will feel the needle go in as we are puncturing the skin after all. But it’s a sensation similar to someone flicking your skin.

The sensation people feel then varies from person to person, from a dull ache, to a gentle light stroke, to feeling as if someone is blowing on your skin gently.

Many different ways to explain the sensation but what they all have in common is that there is NO pain.

After insertion needles are left in for about 20 minutes, unless it’s a child that is having the treatment.

If you want to close your eyes and snooze, that’s fine.
If you want to have a chat, that’s fine.
If you want to discuss what points I’m using and why, that’s fine too.

We will go by what you want to do, and what you are most comfortable with.

At the end of the treatment I remove all needles, and double check I haven’t left any in by accident. All needles are disposed of in a sharps bin, which is incinerated once full.

We discuss after care advice, to support the best outcomes of the acupuncture treatment, plan of action regarding number of treatments and regularity.

We book in your next session, I pack up and leave you to enjoy the chill out feeling people often report after Acupuncture. Some comment they feel like they have been on the wine or question whether there is some kind of magic potion in my little pins. To reassure you my needles are single use, sterile, solid needles, very fine ones about the same width like a strand of your hair. Super thin i know, and absolutely no stuff being injected.

I go back to my car for more singing along Leeds roads, on to my next appointment.

If you read this far, thank you for allowing me to share some of what I do.